What a joy it was to be on the Morning Blend with Natalie & Carley discussing two of my favorite things; Decluttering & Donating.

We all hold on to things for different reasons. Whatever the reason, items can clutter our space and mind, causing anxiety and stress. At Simplicity our goal is to help our busy clients identify what items they need, discard the rest & implement organizing solutions that work for their lifestyle.

Discarding can be a scary task, but it brings about great freedom.

You may hold on to items because you know how much money you spent or because you feel guilty. . maybe it was a gift.

Money and guilt should not be a good enough reason to keep items around that serve you no purpose & create stress in your space.

Giving back is more fun when it is personal. Many charities in Tampa Bay have specific needs which means you can rest knowing your belongings will live another life and bless someone else in need!

Charities Simplicity loves!!!

1. Vintage Thrift Store

Proceeds benefit the Ybor Dream Center, an after school enrichment program with an emphasis on leadership and integrity.

What items? All household items (furniture, clothing, toys, yard equipment and so much more) They will pick up big items from your home!

Contact 813-265-4151

2. Dress for Success

Assisted over 20,000 women dress professionally for interviews to further their careers. They also support women through career development.

What items? Women's business attire

Drop Off Locations: https://dressforsuccess.org/affiliate-list/

3. Urban E

Need a place to recycle unused electronics? This is the perfect place.

Contact: 813-501-9346

4. Humane Society of Tampa Bay

Who doesn't love animals? Your worn-out linens, towels and pillows make a great bed for the puppies and kittens at the Humane Society.

*** If you do this make sure to once a year download and save to your computer the year end statements for your record.

2. Recycle 90%

90% of the snail mail we receive is junk. Practice immediately sorting through the mail when you pick it up from the mail box. This will save you a lot of clutter down the road. Keep only what you need and recycle the rest. Ex: coupon books, magazines, advertisements

3. Pay Bills, Reconcile then Shred

Pay your bills right away, wait for the transaction to show up on your credit card statement then shred the invoice. If you need the invoice for a tax write-off scan the invoice and save to a desktop folder labeled 2018 Deductions.

I hope your found these simple mail organizing tips helpful. Next week will be about organizing your computer desktop!

My goal in this talk was to empower you with organizing tips backed by biblical truth to clean out your home, which will result in a clear heart and mind. If we can switch our perspective on belongings and what we need, our lives will be free of clutter.

Notes:

Does anyone feel overwhelmed by what they see when they walk in their home?

Do you wish you had more time in a day?

Do you go to bed regularly thinking and hoping tomorrow will be a better day?

1. God is the ultimate organizer

Genesis 1:3-5

ex: story of creation

Go make the most challenging task of creating the world, ORDERLY. In this story God exemplifies two key organizing principles; categorization (grouping) and specific labeling (naming).

2. God’s view vs. the world’s view of our possessions

World’s View = Stuff brings Happiness

Driving force is Consumerism

-encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts & has created a culture of luxury, consumption & completion

- this creates greed, which turns into too much in our home, which brings a lack of order, which breads chaos

Gods View = Happiness & Value comes from Him

Matthew 6:25-31

If you decide you are living a life for God, if follows that you do not fuss about what’s on the table at mealtime or whether the clothes in you closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put your stomach, more to your outer appearance than clothes you hang on your body.

- If we focus on him and trust him to provide, anything outside our immediate needs are an added bonus and reward. 2 Chronicles 1:12

- changing our view of possessions as a bonus takes away feelings of entitlement which allows us to live peacefully and satisfied with less.

3. How to declutter your space and mind

So much organizing literature tells us to do this and do that and you will find order. Accomplishing a purging to do list is helpful for a season, but does not bring long term change. If we change our perspective of what we need and focus that God will provide we will build a healthy relationship with stuff.

Remember . .

Focus on living with only what you need.

If you feel inspired to give to those in need, here are charities that will come to you to pick up donations! Thank you so much for blessing others.

Salvation Army - provides services for substance abuse treatment

1-800-728-7825

Vintage Thrift Store - benefits ybor dream center

‭813-220-3497‬

Urban E - recycles your electronics

813-512-6998

If you want the speaking notes or other resources please email, sarah@sorganizing.com.

Putting up the holiday decor is fun! We look forward to it all year. Taking it down is not as fun, but when done correctly will save you so much time next year.

1. Donate decorations you did not put up this year.

2. You don’t need anything fancy to be organized.

Use totes with hard sides and top.

3. Reuse tissue paper from holiday gifts to wrap up the ornaments. If you run out use paper towel. If an ornament is extremely fragile keeps its original box to store it in, then place in the tote with other orgaments.

It is the holiday season and the To Do list tends to grow, family is in town and you may be throwing a few parties. I'm going to give you tip to help you feel a little less stressed this holiday.

Grocery Lists

Generating a grocery list is a must. Many people end up going to the store multiple times and the store can be a zoo. I recommend you make your list a week or two in advance so that you're prepared. You can change your mind on what things you're going to make and revise the list.

Step 1: download the Publix App (you will have to make a username and password)

Step 2: create your list, add to it and take away

Step 3: Go to the store, FUN PART . . . the app knows what store you're at and it populates the list in order by aisle so that your experience is efficient, no backtracking, no distractions. You can check off items as you go.

The Holidays should be a fun time of year, not stressful. With the proper preparation you will find yourself way less stressed enjoying family time.

1. Create a Landing Zone - This is a space off the main entry way of the home and consists of wall hooks for backpacks & keys, shoe cubes or shelves & wall files for school papers. (Once or twice a week it will be the guardians responsibly to go through those papers, keep what's needed and discard the rest.)

Pictured below is a custom mudroom with landing zone, you do not have to have this kind of space to implement a successful landing zone.